What to expect in your arrival day to Costa Rica

What to Expect on your Arrival Day

When you set off on your Costa Rican paddling adventure, you may not know what to expect. Relax, you are in good hands with Sea Kayaking Costa Rica.

In this newsletter we will tell you about:

The airport arrival experience
The hotel accommodations
Recommendations for your dinner outing (on your own, but easy to get to)
What to expect for breakfast on Day Two!

Before you Land

What to declare: Customs forms are usually distributed on the airplane. (For a “How To” click here.) The form asks you to declare everything COMMERCIAL you are bringing into the country. Note that if you have any fresh food (including produce, meat items, etc.) or other substances, which can be sniffed by dogs, you will be stopped.

Immigration Portal

After disembarking, you will go through immigration area for a passport check (there may be long lines). Then you will head downstairs, retrieve your luggage and send it through the X-ray machine to verify that no prohibited items such as produce or meat items are present.

Greetings!

As you exit the building, you will turn right and immediately encounter a wall of people waiting with signs. A company representative will be waiting for you with a sign with your name. (Same guy, same shirt, same sign–exactly.)

Some tricksters may try to persuade you that they were sent for you, but do not believe them . . . only come with me, your friendly neighborhood Costa Rican Sea Kayaker!

Time to relax at the hotel

Once we’ve met up, I will whisk you quickly to your nearby hotel–it’s only a 10 minute drive from the airport.

Here you’ll have the chance to relax and unwind from your international travels . . . there is coffee available in your rooms, various sundries available at the nearby shopping center, and a pool to dip your toes or to completely plunge into.

Your vacation has begun, so it’s totally up to you!

Dinner Time

Just a short walk from the hotel is a shopping plaza that offers a wide variety of cuisines from Japanese to Mexican to Italian to juices to bar food. There is also a mini-mart grocery store where you can buy drinks, groceries, and ready-to-eat foods.

After a good night's sleep . . .

It will be breakfast time! Day Two will begin with a complimentary traditional Costa Rican breakfast including fresh fruit, rice and beans (gallo pinto) and wonderful local coffee.

Soon after, I will arrive to sweep you away on a beautiful drive from the Central Valley highlands down to the Osa Peninsula . . . Ah, but that is a subject for our next newsletter.

About Matias, owner-operator

Matías’s outgoing and friendly nature makes him the guide you are looking for. Not only that, but he’s perfectly fluent in English and Spanish. His two decades of experience in the adventure travel profession and his extensive expertise in expedition leadership give him an edge in creating a fun, safe, and fulfilling experience that will make your vacation one to remember.

With a master’s degree in Environmental Management & Ecotourism, he has a strong interest in supporting sustainable tourism, biodiversity, and Costa Rica’s commitment to being an environmental leader.

He loves all adventure sports, especially those involving water. His background includes sea kayaking guidance/instruction, whitewater kayak instruction, whitewater rafting guidance/instruction, surfing instruction, sustainable tourism consulting, and a strong background in Costa Rica travel consulting as well as international guiding experience in Colorado, Canada, Panama, and Norway.